Ski binding



Nov. 10, 1970 c, JEHLE EI'AL SKI BINDING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 30, 1968 MM, MEAN m H ws Q v w/Wm w n M M $5. W & Q m v ma 0 J Q w a W w Nov. 10,1970 NHEHL ETAL 3,538,524

SKI BINDING Filed Dec. 30, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MI I Q Q J. .L N N 'I a BY JOSEPH B. LAMON/CA A T7'0RNEY United States Patent SKI BINDING Charles .I. Jehle, Laguna Hills, and Joseph B. LaMonica,

Tustin, Calif., assignors to W. J. Volt Rubber Corporation, a corporation of California Filed Dec. 30, 1968, Ser. No. 787,729 Int. Cl. A63c 15/06 US. Cl. 9-310 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The means for locking the adustable heel plate in set position comprises a transverse slide beneath the heel plate which has a tooth on it engagable with a row of teeth formed on one of the side guides for the heel plate. The transverse slide is moved by a rotary cam disposed in a cam notch formed in the transverse slide. The rotary cam is operated by a hand knob which is disposed above the heel plate and behind the foot heel engaging part mounted on the adustable heel plate.

This invention relates to a ski binding, and more particularly, to an improved adustable locking mechanism for a sports ski binding.

It is an object of this invention to provide a low cost and uncomplicated ski binding which has a minimum number of parts, can be quickly and conveniently operated with one hand, and is firm and positive acting with no likelihood of jamming or accidental unlocking.

Briefly, in the preferred form of the invention a water ski foot binding is illustrated having an adjustable heel plate which is locked in set position by a transverse slide mounted thereunder which is movable by a hand knob controlled cam to engage it with a row of teeth formed on one of the heel plate side guides.

The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a broken away side elevation view of the preferred form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the section line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a broken away top plan view of the device; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the section line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

Referring now particularly to the drawings, a water ski adjustable foot binding is illustrated comprising an elongated ski board 10, a fixed forefoot engaging part 11, and a heel engaging part 12. The part 11 comprises a pair of rubber pieces 11 and 11" which are suitably fastened to the board 10, and the part 12 comprises a pair of rubber pieces 12 and 12" which are fastened to an adjustable heel plate or slide member 13. In other words, member 13 has the part 12 mounted thereon for adjustment towards and away from the part 11.

Heel plate 13 is rectangular in exterior shape and has a cut out 14, see FIG. 3, at its front end to give it a U-shaped configuration at its front end. The heel part 12 is mounted to the heel plate 13 along cutout 14 by suitable clamping means in a manner clearly understood by those skilled in the art.

The heel plate 13 is lengthwise movable between a pair of guide members 15 and 16. Both guides '15 and 16 have a slot 17, see FIG. 2, formed therein which is adapted to receive the opposite side edges of heel plate Patented Nov. 10, 1970 13. However, in addition thereto, the left hand guide 15 has a row of teeth 18 formed thereon along its slot 17 to lock the heel plate 13 in set position in a manner which will be described shortly.

The guides 15 and 16 preferably are constructed from plastic so that their slots 17 and teeth 18 can be readily integrally formed thereon by molding or the like. Positioned directly on the upper surface of the board 10 and beneath the heel plate 13 is another plate 19 which is also rectangular along its exterior sides but U-shaped at its front because of a cutout or notch 20 at its front end. The guides are positioned on top of the opposite side edges of plate 19 and guides 15, 16 and plate 19 are fastened together and to the board 10 by suitable means such as wood screws 21.

Stop means are provided for limiting rearward movement of heel plate 13. The stop means comprises integrally and oppositively facing nibs 22 and 23 formed on the plates 13 and 19 respectively. The nib 22 is formed to project down and the nib 23 to project up. A downwardly projecting nib 24 is also formed on plate 13 along its left side edge. This is so that plate -13 will not rattel or slide loosely in the slot 17 of left guide 15 but in a snug fashion for a reason which will be more clear hereinafter.

The means for locking the heel plate or slide member 13 in set position comprises a transverse locking slide 25 mounted on and beneath the heel plate 13. Looking slide 25 is rectangular in shape and is guided in a direction transverse or perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the board 10 by nibs 26 integrally formed on the heel plate 13. Nibs 26 project down and engage opposite side edges of the locking slide 25. Locking slide 25 is mounted to the underside of heel plate 13 by a rivet 27 or other suitable means. Rivet 27 is aligned with a slot 28 formed in the plate 13 which extends in a transverse direction.

The locking slide 25 is moved to left or right by a hand knob 29. Knob 29 is positioned above heel plate 13 behind the heel engaging part 12. Rotation of knob clockwise moves locking slide to the left to set lock position, which is the position illustrated in the drawings. Opposite or counter clockwise rotation of knob 29 slides locking slide 25 to the right to unlock the heel plate 13.

Knob 29 is connected to the upper end of a cam operating shaft 30. The lower end of shaft 30 extends through an aligned aperture 31 in heel plate 13 in to a flat cam 32 to which it is connected at its lowermost end. Cam 32 and shaft 30 are fixed with respect to each other so that when knob 29 is rotated so is cam 32. Shaft 30 of course is rotatably mounted in aperture 31 of heel plate 13.

The cam 32 like the parts 13, 19, 25 is a thin and flat metallic plate piece. It is horizontally disposed within the flat plane of locking slide 25 within a cam notch 33 formed in locking slide 25-. The cam 32 and its notch 33 are contoured in the manner illustrated in the drawings and the cam 32 is eccentric with respect to the cam shaft 30. When the cam 32 is rotated in either direction it rides on the edges of the cam notch 33 to move the locking slide either towards or away from the row of teeth 18 on the left guide 15. The interaction between the cam 32 and edges of cam notch 33 is positive, and the same is true to the row of teeth 18 and a cooperative tooth or dog 34 on the left hand end of the locking slide 25 whereby when the parts are in the position illustrated in the drawings the heel plate 13 is firmly locked in set position with respect to the forefoot part 11.

The tooth or dog 34 is integrally formed on that end of the locking slide 25 corresponding to the guide 15 which has the teeth 18 thereon. Tooth 34 is bent slightly in a down direction out of the flat plane of the locking slide 25 so as to be positioned opposite to the row of teeth 18. The snug nib 24 takes up any looseness between the left side of heel plate 13 and its locking slide 25 to maintain this relationship of the tooth 34 always being positioned opposite to the row of teeth 18. The left hand end of locking plate 25 has corner cars 35 which project into slot 17 when the locking plate is in locking position. The tooth 34 is spaced from the ears 35 by a pair of notches 36, and the tooth 34 interlocks with any two adjacent pairs of the row of teeth 18. Therefore, the position of the heel plate 13 or its heel engaging part 12 can be adjusted incrementally along length of board towards and away from the forefoot part 11.

Since the locking mechanism or adjustable rear end portion of the ski binding has a minimum number of parts it is low cost and also fool proof or free from jamming. The parts are illustrated in their lock set position. To unlock the heel plate the knob 29, and therefore the cam 32, is rotated counterclockwise slightly over 180 degrees. Due to the shape of the cam 32 and cam notch 33 the locking slide 25 is positively moved left or right and once moved to locked or unlocked position cannot accidentally move to the other position except by intentional turning of the knob 29. In addition, since only operation of the knob 29 is required to lock or unlock the heel plate 13 and since the knob 29 is in a readily accessible position behind the heel engaging part 12 the locking mechanism can be operated and adjustments made in a convenient and quick manner solely with one hand.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention, and that it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed:

1. In a sports ski comprising a ski board having a fixed forefoot engaging part and a movable heel engaging part which is adjustably movable with respect to said forefoot part, and means for locking said heel engaging part in set position with respect to said forefoot part, said locking means comprising a flat slide member on said board which is adapted to have said heel engaging part mounted thereon, a pair of laterally spaced side guides on said board for guiding said slide member in a direction lengthwise of said board, a movable flat locking slide mounted on the underside of said slide member, means on said slide member for guiding said locking slide in a direction transverse to said lengthwise direction, a cam notch formed in said locking slide, a fiat cam disposed in said cam notch, a hand knob positioned above said slide member and being connected to said cam to rotate the same against the edges of said cam notch to slide said locking slide towards and away from one of said guides, and interlocking means formed on said one guide and the end of said locking slide corresponding to said one guide for locking said slide member in fixed position by actuation of said knob to cause said cam to slide said locking member towards said one guide to engage said interlocking means.

2. In a sports ski as in claim 1, said slide member, locking slide, and cam comprising thin metallic plate parts, said cam being disposed in the flat plane of said locking slide, the means connecting said knob to said cam comprising a shaft eccentrically fixed at one of its ends to said cam and extending therefrom in a direction perpendicular to said slide member through an aligned aperture formed in said slide member, said knob being connected to the other end of said shaft and being positioned behind said heel engaging part.

3'. In a sports ski as in claim 2, said interlocking means comprising a row of teeth formed on said one guide, and a tooth formed on the end of said locking slide corresponding to said one guide, said locking slide tooth being engagable with any adjacent pair of said teeth to lock said heel engaging part in any one of incrementally different spaced positions with respect to said forefoot engaging part.

4. In a sports ski as in claim 3, said pair of guides comprising a pair of elongated plastic members, said row of teeth being integrally formed on said one guide, both of said guides having a lengthwise extending slot formed therein which is adapted to receive opposite side edges of said slide member, said means on said slide member for guiding said locking slide comprising integral nibs formed on said slide member which are adapted to engage opposite side edges of said locking slide, said locking slide being mounted on the underside of said slide member by a rivet, said rivet extending through a slot formed in said slide member which extends in a direction transverse to said lengthwise direction, and stop means for limiting rearward movement of said heel engaging part with respect to said forefoot engaging part, said stop means comprising a pair of oppositively facing nibs formed on said board and the underside of said slide member which are adapted to engage each other at the limit of said rearward movement.

5. In a sports ski as in claim 4, said slide member and said locking slide having a rectangular exterior configuration, a cutout in the front portion of said slide member to give it a U-shaped form, said locking slide being positioned beneath the rear portion of said slide member, and said heel engaging part being mounted on said slide mem her along the edges of said cutout.

6. In a sports ski as in claim 5, a thin flat metallic plate mounted directly on said board, said plate having a generally U-shaped configuration and being positioned beneath said slide member and its locking slide and cam, and the stop nib which is engagable with the stop nib formed on said slide member being integrally formed on said plate, said plate being rectangular in external configuration, said pair of guides being disposed along opposite sides of said plate, and fastening means extending through said guides and plate to fix the same to said board.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,933,740 4/1960 Maples 9-310 3,176,328 4/1965 Wallberg et al. 9310 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,228,026 3/ 1960 France.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner P. E. SAUBERER, Assistant Examiner 

